LSAT Explanation PT 23, S3, Q5: A purse containing 32 ancient gold

LSAT Question Stem

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following hypotheses? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Most Strongly supported question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is Most Strongly Supported (MSS), and we are asked to find the hypothesis that is most strongly supported by the statements in the passage.

Let's analyze the passage and summarize the key points:

1. A purse with 32 Moroccan gold coins was found in an ancient Jordanian city.

2. The city was an important trading center and a popular stopover for pilgrims on the route between Morocco and Mecca.

3. A trader's purse in the city would likely have contained a more diverse set of coins.

Now, let's examine each answer choice and see which one is most strongly supported by the statements:

a) Moroccan coins were more valuable in the ancient city than were Jordanian coins.

- The passage does not provide any information about the relative value of Moroccan and Jordanian coins. This answer choice is incorrect.

b) Most gold coins available during the time when the ancient city thrived were minted in Morocco.

- The passage only mentions that 32 Moroccan gold coins were found, but it does not imply that most gold coins during that time were minted in Morocco. This answer choice is incorrect.

c) The purse with the gold coins had been brought to the ancient city by a pilgrim on the route between Morocco and Mecca.

- This answer choice is supported by the passage, as the city was a popular stopover for pilgrims, and a trader's purse would have contained a more diverse set of coins. This answer choice is correct.

d) Gold coins were the only medium of exchange used in the ancient city.

- The passage does not provide any information to suggest that gold coins were the only medium of exchange in the ancient city. This answer choice is incorrect.

e) Pilgrims and traders in the ancient city were unlikely to have interacted with one another.

- The passage does not provide any information about the interactions between pilgrims and traders in the ancient city. This answer choice is incorrect.

Based on the analysis, the correct answer choice is (c): The purse with the gold coins had been brought to the ancient city by a pilgrim on the route between Morocco and Mecca.